2015 RETROSPECTIVE: Despite Some Monthly Increases, Apparel Employment Flat in ’15
Manufacturing
The state saw some slight increases in apparel manufacturing employment throughout 2015, according to the California Employment Development Department, but over the course of 12 months ending in October (the latest figures tracked by the EDD), apparel and textile employment in the state remained flat.
2015 RETROSPECTIVE: Gap Initiative Aims to Cut U.S. Stores, Increase Overseas Stores
Retail
Gap Inc.’s operations are impressive. The San Francisco–headquartered retailer says that its product is sold in 3,300 company-owned stores across the globe. In 2014, its net sales were $16.4 billion.
2015 RETROSPECTIVE: Macy’s Inc Tries Off-price, Nordstrom Tries More Stores
Retail
Nordstrom Inc. has been hard at work in Southern California in 2015. Nordstrom opened a new full-line shop at Del Amo Fashion Center this year and announced two other new full-line stores.
Michael Costello, Tyga and Pia Mia at Runway Wonderland
Runway Wonderland
Fashion, music and philanthropy converged at the 2nd annual Runway Wonderland event on Dec. 10 at Hubble Studio in Los Angeles.
Lonnie Kane Receives Icon Award
Events
Lonnie Kane, co-owner of the Los Angeles label Karen Kane Inc. and chairman of the California Fashion Association, received the Icon Award at the second annual Southern California Apparel Awards.
MRket Partners With Equinox for New Activewear Section
Trade Shows
MRket is diving into the activewear market with Move, a new section at the upscale menswear trade show.
High-End Accessories Show Coeur Moves to CMC
Trade Shows
Coeur, the high-end accessories and lifestyle show, is moving to the 13th-floor Penthouse of the California Market Center for its March 14–16 edition during the Fall 2016 Los Angeles Fashion Market.
Varley Activewear: European Sophistication Meets California Style
Varley Activewear
The husband-and-wife team behind the line Varley, Lara and Ben Mead, split their time between the U.S. and Europe, which gives the London-born, California-inspired luxury lifestyle brand the sophistication of London and the ease of California.
Darner: L.A. Company Seeks to Build a Better Sock From Scratch
Darner
Los Angeles is known as a denim and T-shirts town, but when a handful of well-connected manufacturers were asked about producing socks in Los Angeles, most said that they knew little and/or had not heard much about the manufacturing of socks in their hometown, which is one of the bigger manufacturing centers in the United States.
Super-Sized Mega-Ship Making Its Way to California Ports
Import/Export
The largest container ship ever to call in the United States will be arriving at three California ports to test the waters on how the facilities handle a megaship of this size.
2015 Economic Retrospective
As 2015 draws to a close, the editors of California Apparel News take a look at several key economic indicators to assess how California’s fashion industry navigated the slowly recovering economy over the past year.
T-shirts Designed by West Africans for American Apparel
Fashion
Artisans in Sierra Leone design T-shirt collection for American Apparel.
Modern Weaving Accessories Lands at The Dreslyn
L.A. online specialty retailer The Dreslyn will launch the first season of Modern Weaving accessories. The collection of handbags and jewelry will be sold exclusively on The Dreslyn for the next four weeks.
Bringing in the Holidays With Kin
West Hollywood boutique Kin kicked off the holidays with a shopping event on Dec. 10. The staff gave some time for a photo.
Guerilla Atelier: Kicking off the Holidays With Bromley
Carl Louisville didn’t need this before the holidays.
Kitson Announces Closure of All Stores
Retail
Kitson, the boutique chain that pioneered high-end shopping on Los Angeles’ Robertson Boulevard and pop-culture retailing, is going out of business, according to a statement sent by the retailer’s public-relations representative.
Retailers Fined for Bamboozling Customers by Mislabeling Rayon Products
Manufacturing
Four large retailers have been fined $1.3 million for mislabeling apparel and textile products as bamboo when in fact they were made from rayon.
Magazines That Rank at the Top of Model Diversity
Fashion
Fashion magazines get slightly better at putting non-white models on the cover.
American Apparel Hits Financial Headwinds
The largest clothing factory in the United States had a mountain of debt that pushed it into bankruptcy court in October, filing for Chapter 11 protection.
